Who owns our knowledge in a global academic landscape shaped by powerful commercial publishers? The 2025 International Open Access Week theme raises urgent questions for regions where local publishing systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries, are often sidelined.

Nwach Egbunike brings an African university press perspective to this debate. Drawing on his extensive experience, Dr. Egbunike will discuss how African presses navigate systemic barriers to visibility and authority within the global scholarly ecosystem. While open access is frequently championed as a corrective, Dr. Egbunike asks whether it truly addresses marginalization—or might new models be required. His talk will challenge us to examine the complex realities of ownership, access, and equity in knowledge production, and how universities and publishers in Africa are charting their own paths amidst these global challenges.

The presentation will be followed by a conversation about knowledge inequality with Dr. Arsim Canolli, associate professor of Cultural Anthropology at the University of Prishtina in Kosova.

Sponsored by the University of Michigan Department of Afroamerican and African Studies (DAAS), the African Studies Center, the University of Michigan Press, and the Association of University Presses.